Directorate for Public Governance and Territorial Development

OECD Review on Public Governance: France

The reform programme known as the “General Review of Public Policies” (Révision générale des politiques publiques, RGPP), launched by the central government of France in 2007, is an initiative without similar precedent among OECD countries, given its mode of governance, which involves the highest authorities of the French state directly and continuously. It is also rather unique in its intention to carry out, at the same time and through the same decision-making process, reforms designed to improve the quality of services to the public, to reduce costs, and to enhance the structural conditions of central government operations.

Indeed, these same objectives have motivated the public governance reforms of other advanced OECD countries for several decades, and they represent the core of the work of the OECD Directorate for Public Governance and Territorial Development. They are even more important today, when the economic and fiscal crisis demands swift adaptation by governments to make policies more effective and efficient.

This report analyses the results of the RGPP reform programme in light of its initial objectives as well as the new economic and fiscal context in which France currently finds itself. The lessons drawn in terms of budgetary savings, instituting a culture of innovation, and improving service to the citizenry are important for all OECD countries in their efforts as well for local authorities who are also obliged to innovate in their practices in order to deliver better services at lower cost.

Table of contents

Chapter 1. The broader context of the General Review of Public Policies